Hike Rocky Peak Ridge and Giant Mountain via New Russia Trail Adirondack Park, NY

Jul 13, 2024 — A few days ago, I hiked to Giant Mountain and Rocky Peak Ridge solo via the Ridge Trail, but I finished that hike feeling incomplete because I really wanted to reach these two summits via the New Russia Trail someday. I didn't expect it to happen so soon, but Adam drove up from NJ to meet me today, and after multiple plan changes we decided that this option worked out quite well. If you have the time and energy, this is a much better hike than the shorter options from the southwest via the popular Ridge Trail or Roaring Brook Trail. It’s a lot longer, but it includes a pretty pond, a short bald ridgeline, and many changes in the vegetation due to the range of altitudes. The New Russia Trail starts at a very low elevation relative to other trailheads for the Adirondack High Peaks, then follows a rolling ridge that racks up the elevation gain both on the way up and back.

Adam and I set out on the New Russia Trail, initially through lower-elevation deciduous forest with the occasional stream crossing, and mostly it was just a nicely forested trail that gained elevation gradually relative to the rest of the hike. The first minor summit on our way was Blueberry Cobbles. This is a completely avoidable side excursion since the trail bypasses it on the north, but it offered a nice view toward the ridgeline to come. We quickly passed over the barely notable Mason Mountain, a named nubbin along the way.

Our introduction to Class 2 for the day came on the way up to Bald Peak, but it was pretty short-lived. We made quick work up to Bald Peak, which had lovely views, and we now had a clear idea of how far away Giant Mountain remained. As we descended from Bald Peak into Dickerson Notch, we enjoyed a nice hike through a lush aspen grove before beginning the ascent to the false summit of Rocky Peak Ridge, its East Peak. About halfway up this ascent, the trail changed character and ascended much more steeply on rockier terrain, the typical Adirondack-style ruggedness. On the way up Rocky Peak Ridge – East Peak, we had a couple of viewpoints back toward Bald Peak.

The true Rocky Peak Ridge summit lies on the western edge of its pleasant and undulating extended ridgeline. We dropped down to Mary Louise Lake, a lovely pond nestled at the saddle, the trail assisted with boardwalks to work around the boggy perimeter. Our ascent from Mary Louise Pond to the summit of Rocky Peak Ridge was the most gorgeous section of the day, a combination of an excellent perspective toward the pond below and a bald ridgeline that provided views in all directions.

Last on the agenda was Giant Mountain, accessed via a gradual and relatively tame descent from Rocky Peak Ridge, followed by a much steeper ascent to the summit, complete with some nice scrambling. When we met up with the junction with the Ridge Trail, we were surprised at how crowded it was after being alone most of the day so far, but that makes sense since it's a popular one and this was a Saturday. Giant Mountain boasted impressive views. Of course, now we had to reverse the whole route. You could likely decrease the difficulty of this hike significantly by adding a shuttle car at either the Roaring Brook Trailhead or the Ridge Trailhead and just descend to that car, but we hadn't thought to do so and went back along the roller coaster of a ridgeline.